1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable computer systems such as personal digital assistants or palmtops. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a silent visual indicator (e.g., an alarm) for portable computer systems.
2. Related Art
As the components required to build a computer system have reduced in size, new categories of computer systems have emerged. One of the more recent categories of computer systems is the portable or xe2x80x9cpalmtopxe2x80x9d computer system, or personal digital assistant (PDA). A palmtop computer system is a computer that is small enough to be held in the hand of a user and is thus xe2x80x9cpalm-sized.xe2x80x9d As a result, palmtops are readily carried about in a briefcase or purse, and some palmtops are compact enough to fit into a person""s pocket. By virtue of their size, palmtop computer systems are also lightweight and so are exceptionally portable and convenient.
Because of the portability and convenience of palmtops, it is becoming increasingly desirable to increase the range of applications and functions for which they can be used. It is advantageous to expand the capabilities of a palmtop so that it can provide many of the same, if not the same, services provided by a personal computer (e.g., a desktop or laptop computer system), particularly with regard to access to the World Wide Web as well as the ability to communicate with other palmtops and personal computers. As such, information currently available via the Internet over personal computers, such as on-line access to news and financial information, can also be provided via a palmtop. In addition, a palmtop can be used for electronic mail (xe2x80x9ce-mailxe2x80x9d) and multi-player gaming, and features such as voice recognition can also be added.
Palmtop computers are also used very frequently as personal calendars, containing a user""s schedule of meetings, appointments, and other items of significance such as birthdays and anniversaries. The user can open (e.g., display) the calendar to check for upcoming events. In addition, palmtops are generally equipped with an alarm that provides an audible indication to a user of an imminent appointment.
The audible alarm currently used in palmtops is problematic because it is not appropriate for all situations and cannot be used by the hearing impaired. In an environment that is supposed to be quiet (such as a theater), the audible signal can be disruptive and impolite. In an environment where there are many palmtop users (such as a business meeting), there are many occasions when multiple palmtops will sound their alarms at about the same time. In these situations, the sound of multiple alarms is exceptionally disruptive. In addition, it is not easy to trace an audible alarm to its source, and so there will also be some initial confusion while people try to determine whether it is their palmtop that is creating the alarm, further disrupting the meeting.
Furthermore, because of their disruptive nature, audible alarms cannot always be used to signal events other than appointments, etc. That is, there may be a number of conditions associated with the different functions and applications mentioned above for which a user may wish to receive an alert, but with an audible alarm the signals may be virtually continuous, especially in an environment where multiple palmtops are present. Thus, instead of being subjected to too much noise, or subjecting others nearby to the noise, a user may elect to not receive an audible alarm when he or she would really rather have one.
On the other hand, an audible signal can also be problematic in a noisy environment. It may not be possible to hear an audible alarm over the surrounding noise, in this case rendering the alarm useless.
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus and/or method that can be used in a portable computer system and that adds or maintains the functionality of an audible alarm, but addresses the shortcomings of an audible alarm. Also, what is needed is an apparatus and/or method that satisfies the above need and increases the number of conditions or events for which an alarm can be used, in particular for a portable computer system environment where the number of applications and functions are increasing. The present invention provides these advantages and others not specifically mentioned above but described in the sections to follow.
An apparatus and method thereof are described, in which a portable computer system or personal digital assistant is adapted to generate a visual signal in response to the occurrence of a programmed event. In one embodiment, the portable computer system uses a light emitting diode to visually signal an alarm at a specified time. When enabled, the visual signal is generated in lieu of an audible signal, thus providing to the user a silent alarm that does not disturb other people in proximity.
The visual signal can be varied in order to indicate the type of event or condition associated with the alarm. In one implementation, the visual signal blinks at a particular rate depending on the type of event. In another implementation, the visual signal blinks a prescribed number of times or according to a particular pattern depending on the type of event. In yet another implementation, the visual signal uses different colors depending on the type of event. The visual signal can thus be used to signal a wide variety of different events, and in particular can do so in an unobtrusive manner.
In one embodiment, the visual signal is disposed such that it is visible when the portable computer system is viewed either from the front or on edge. In another embodiment, one of the buttons of the portable computer system is made translucent or transparent, and the visual indicator is situated beneath the button. When activated, the visual signal can be seen through the button; therefore, the button performs its normal function and also serves to provide the visual signal. For example, in one implementation, the on/off button is located on the top edge of the front surface and so it can be seen when the portable computer system is viewed from the front or on edge. The on/off button can be made translucent and the visual indicator installed underneath it, and thus the button can perform both its normal function as well as the visual indicator function.